Not the most productive day I've ever had

[cleolinda]

Let's go ahead and get two days of linkspam out of the way, shall we?

'Fletch' author Gregory Mcdonald dies.

Writer of 'Where the Wild Things Are' comes out of the closet at age 80.

Judge: No new trial in 1993 Ark. boys' slayings. "A judge on Wednesday rejected claims that DNA evidence clears three men convicted of killing three 8-year-old boys in 1993 and denied their requests for a new trial." Oh my God, how many documentaries about the West Memphis Three are they going to have to make?

Sex offender admits posing as 7th grader.

British team capture first pictures of Africa's 'unicorn.'

It's alive! 'Extinct' frogs found alive.

Mouth to Meow-th: Mass. firefighter revives cat; That's what I call CPR! ("When asked what giving a cat mouth to mouth tasted like. The fireman said: 'Like fur.' ")

Nobody Can Explain the Ghost Caught on CCTV in a Pub.

Two first-timers among Booker picks. ...and now I have to go despair somewhere.

Robert Heinlein's Bizarre Fan Mail Response Letter [Snail Mail Was So Weird Man].

Poe's "The Raven," translated into 50s hipster argot.

Watch The Science, Mutation, Fights And Sex Scenes Of 'The Fly' Opera.

"Karl Lagerfeld Is Not Actually A Ninja": The Future Of Magazines.

Anime erotica goes mainstream. Ah, the famous Hello Kitty vibrator.

'Fringe' debuts to decent ratings while '90210' tanks; Last Night's 'Fringe' Was More Torturous Than the Leaked Version; 'Fringe' Rerun Has Bonuses. Before you ask, no, I didn't watch it after all. Well, I watched the first fifteen minutes. We were trying to eat dinner, and my taco fell apart right as the guy's jaw fell off in the first scene. But okay, I thought, we'll try to soldier on. So then Agent Boyfriend or whoever gets hit by the virus/chemical thing and he's all see-through melty, and we looked down at our tacos and decided to switch over to something marginally less horrifying, like America's Got Talent. I'll have to watch the tape later.

'Lost' exclusive: The second half of season 5's new mystery duo; 'Lost' Girl Alex Finds 'Cold Case' Gig.

True Blood: Would You Date This Vampire? [Vampire Dating Services]; Alan Ball's New HBO Show About People In Coffins Fails To Grab Viewers.

Shirley Manson Talks About Playing The World's Worst Boss ['Sarah Connor Chronicles'].

Doctor Who And The Lights Of Zeta-Jones?

'Dollhouse' Production Shuts Down For 2 Weeks.

Has CBS Saved Us From The Worst SF Show Ever? ['The Butterfly Effect']

College Girls In Heat Over James Franco [Shut Up, College] ("About 20 minutes later, people start hoarding around the entrance of the cafe, and by 11:50PM, most Columbians, particularly the type of ridiculous, squealing, freshman girl are all harassing the poor guy").

Add cowbell and Christopher Walken to any song.

Keira Knightley and David Letterman Find In Each Other A Mixed Squatting Doubles Partner. That is a superlative WTF face Keira is making in the accompanying picture, by the way.

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise are Overpaid.

Celebrity backstage demands at VMAs; Did MTV Censor Russell Brand's Shocking Bristol Palin Joke?; Exclusive: Linkin Park's Chester Bennington talks about his 'moody' solo album, 'disarray' at the VMAs; ONTD at the VMAs (be afraid).

20 Actors and Actresses Who Turned Down Important or Popular Roles.

Toronto 2008: Bill Maher's 'Religulous' (plus two terrific docs); TIFF Interview: 'The Hurt Locker' Director Kathryn Bigelow and Screenwriter Mark Boal; TIFF Review: 'The Duchess'; TIFF Review: 'Me and Orson Welles'; TIFF Review: 'Lovely, Still.'

Recovering Roger Ebert Pummeled By Angry 'NY Post' Critic [TIFF Tiffs].

Oscar-Winner Brad Pitt, Resurgent Weinsteins and 9 Other Bold Predictions For Fall Movie Hell [Defamer Fall Movie Preview]; Lee Fears Eastwood Spat Will Cost Him An Oscar.

Images: Two Lovers; First Look: Nic Cage in Matthew Vaughn's 'Kick-Ass.'

Trailers and clips: Must Watch: Joe Wright's 'The Soloist' Trailer ('The Soloist': Iron Man and Ray Charles Team Up...to Make You Cry; If You Run Out of Oscars, It's Because 'The Soloist' Has Them All); 'Easy Virtue' Trailer; 'People Celebrating Christmas' Has a Trailer; Isla Fisher Makes Some Confessions in 'Shopaholic' Trailer; Exclusive 'Humboldt County' Clip; Watch This: Darth Vader is a Smartass; Good-Looking Russian Leads Space War In My Pants.

trailer_spot: Quantum of Solace, Milk, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Soul Men.

Dark Knight plans re-release for Oscar push; The Dark Knight Heading Back to Theaters in January! WOOHOO! I never got to see it in IMAX! ALso: Philip Seymour Hoffman on 'Batman' Rumors: Why So Erroneous? Meanwhile: Frank Miller Gives Batgirl Too Dirty A Mouth For DC Comics (Holy $#!!, Batman! Obscenity-Laden Comic Recalled); Jane Austen's Batman.

EXCLUSIVE: Jason Isaacs Reveals Secret ‘Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince’ Cameo; Emma Watson Comments on "Half-Blood Prince" Delay; Scholastic Updates Site with New Video, Sorcerer's Stone Shipping Early.

'Quantum of Solace' - Official Blog Report #25.

Christian Bale Meets Arnold Schwarzenegger; Batman and Mr. Freeze Have Pow-wow; Looks Like He'll Be Back After All ['Terminator Salvation'].

Will The Wachowski Brothers Tackle A ‘Wonder Woman’ Movie?; Fan Made: 'Wonder Woman' Teaser Poster.

More X-Men Movies Possible; More X-Men Spin-Offs, New Daredevil Film?

EXCLUSIVE: Kevin Smith’s ‘Star Trek’ Review, Calls Chris Pine’s Kirk ‘A Star-Making Performance.’

‘G.I. Joe’ Star Joseph Gordon-Levitt Undergoes Transformation For Cobra Commander Role.

Which Robot is Confirmed for 'Transformers 2'?

The Tragic Death of Dr. Manhattan's Real-Life Counterpart [Watchmen].

Author Stephenie Meyer Blows Off 'Twilight' Sequel to Make a Music Video; from tabithaspike: Back to School Means Back to Sparkling!

Johnny Depp is Gore Verbinski's Pet in 'Rango'; Depp To Play Household Pet In New Animation.

Michael Douglas Starring as Liberace for Steven Soderbergh. ... whaaaaaaaat?

'The Women': Movie in no man's land; Critics Insist 'The Women' Sets Back Chick Flick's Rights Several Hundred Years.

Eva Mendes Plays Prostitute In ‘Experimental’ New ‘Bad Lieutenant.’

Helen Mirren Likes to Get Nasty ("Helen Mirren has revealed that she researched her role in upcoming movie Love Ranch by spending time in a brothel").

'Burn After Reading': the EW review; EXCL: John Malkovich on the Coens' 'Burn After Reading.'

EXCLUSIVE: Danny Boyle May Direct Second ‘28 Days Later’ Follow-Up, Plays Coy On Setting; Exclusive: Danny Boyle Getting Animated?; Danny Boyle In Talks To Direct…A Musical?

This Year's 'Children Of Men' Gets A Much-Needed Extreme Makeover ['Blindness'].

Wes Anderson Remaking the French Comedy 'My Best Friend.'

Fox 2000 Bringing 'Water for Elephants.'

Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Daniels in 'Paper Man.'

Val Kilmer is Part of 'The Steam Experiment.'

'How to Be Single' at New Line Cinema.

WB Boards Christensen's 'Karma Coalition.'

Evigan, Willis to Star in 'Sorority Row.'

Brett Ratner says 'Guitar Hero' movie isn't happening...yet

Nickelodeon Developing Kidrobot Movies.

Matthew McConaughey May Expose More Than Just His Chest in 'Surfer, Dude.'

Paul Verhoeven to Direct Erotic Thriller. So... apparently the Large Hadron Collider threw us back to 1995.

Comments

[makingmywayhome.livejournal.com]

dude, the west memphis three! i haven't heard about them in years. i bought a tank top once supporting those dudes. they're all still alive? Seriously?

[gypsydawnrising.livejournal.com]

I bought a tee shirt that my mom threw away, and then she called me a "liberal hippie." That really does suck for them though. They should have gotten a new trial.

[noizangel.livejournal.com]

I liked Fringe. The script was stiff in places, but has potential.

But yeah, eating + Fringe = grossness.

[swordmage.livejournal.com]

Your icon makes me giggle.

I was only half paying attention to Fringe. The curse of raiding in WoW while doing so...

[poinsley.livejournal.com]

Two first-timers among Booker picks. ...and now I have to go despair somewhere.

Don't you have to live in the Commonwealth to get a Booker though?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't mean so much that I wanted a Booker as, you know, here are two first-timers up for a huge award, I will never live up to that, *emo tear*, etc. ; )

[incogra.livejournal.com]

I'm all for J. Gordon-Levitt getting more work, because he's a great actor and has gotten surprisingly hot, but Cobra Commander? My brain can't wrap itself around that one.

[dreamer-marie.livejournal.com]

apparently the Large Hadron Collider threw us back to 1995.
Does that mean Bill Clinton is still president of the USA? That I can correct that stupid mistake I made in my end-of-high-school math exam? That I can avoid dating that one guy?

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

You should ALWAYS avoid dating The One Guy. It's been proven time and again by numerous women that That One Guy is a douche. I don't know how he keeps going out.

[greyduck.livejournal.com]

Time for another round of Fun With Homophones!

"About 20 minutes later, people start hoarding around the entrance of the cafe..."

Really? Are you sure they weren't hording? REALLY?

Argh.

[batmaz.livejournal.com]

Nope, they were storing food for the winter. I hear it's going to be a frosty one. What better place than the entrance to cafe, they don't have to carry the food very far at all!

[sound-of-bells.livejournal.com]

Oh, James Franco. News of that spread like wildfire across campus and has been a source of much hilarity. I am torn between feeling really, really sorry for him, and being really amused. I mean... it's not like I wouldn't have seen that coming, I've got to say.

Also? I once thought that there was a limit to Helen Mirren's force of awesome. I now know that this is not the case.

[sweetestillness.livejournal.com]

D: I was working as a cashier about a month ago when a little girl came through my line, clutching a copy of Twilight. She said she was getting it because she heard it was required reading next year, in 8th grade, and she wanted to be ahead.

I didn't want to believe it could be true. But after that article... God help us all.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

... oh dear God.

[everstar3.livejournal.com]

Awww, I want to give Maurice Sendak a big ol' hug. Fifty years he was with his partner. Wow. (And it breaks my heart a little that he never told his parents, wanting to protect them.)

Now I kind of want to reread "Where the Wild Things Are." Re-look-at? Something.

[batmaz.livejournal.com]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26641652/<.url>
:(:(:(:( !!

[greyduck.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. Incredibly sad and unnecessary. :( indeed.

[summersdaughter.livejournal.com]

LOL, I kind of love Heinlein's form letter to send out to fans even if I kind of hate everything I've ever written by him.

Also, first the unicorn in Italy, now the okapi...I really hope it's mermaids next! *crosses fingers*

[profbutters.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm less surprised that Maurice Sendak is gay than that anybody as crotchety and odd as he *had* a "longtime companion." He isn't kidding when he says he hates people and he's got incredible issues. I'm not saying that to take away from his work: he's put a lot of those *into* his work. I'm just thinking, "wow, even SENDAK had a boyfriend; there is hope on the horizon."

The Twilight lesson plan--ugh.

I saw "Religulous" in a special pre-screening here in Claremont. I wasn't that impressed. It definitely had its moments--the interview with Theme Park Jesus was hilarious--but it wasn't well organized. I didn't know why he chose to interview this particular ex-Jew for Jesus who runs a gift shop or visit that particular chapel, and the overall theme --religion--is just waaaay too big. The bits about religion and politics were good, though. And as I said, Theme Park Jesus:

Maher: You must get recognized in restaurants all the time.

Theme Park Jesus: Well, yes, I imagine that happens to you, too.

[mechmuertos.livejournal.com]

(http://s166.photobucket.com/albums/u115/mechmuertos/?action=view&current=patrioticdog-3.jpg)

[snapdragon76.livejournal.com]

A friend linked me to this (http://riskyregencies.blogspot.com/2008/09/jane-austens-batman.html) and I had to share, knowing you'd appreciate it.

LOL

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's actually in today's linkspam. : )

[kirsdarke.livejournal.com]

I want to hug Roger Ebert.

And then, as you put it so perfectly, "cut a bitch."

[kvschwartz.livejournal.com]

"Fringe"
equals
late-seasons "X-Files" plus "Cabin Fever" plus "24" plus "Transformers" plus "I, Robot"

[eofs.livejournal.com]

The scariest thing about that Twilight lesson plan site (aside from the fact that the lesson plan clearly had a lot of cut and haste going into it) was on one of the other pages. AP English students summarising Twilight.

How on Earth is Twilight a suitable book for that level of study? I thought AP was supposed to be the rough equivalent of our A-Level exams. Shakespeare, Chaucer, Meyer... somehow I just can't see them in the same sentence.

(Caveat, I did not personally study Chaucer for my A-Level, doing nothing earlier than Marlowe, but I'm pretty certain a friend did in hers.)

[http://users.livejournal.com/bellereve_/]

Yeah, AP is supposed to be Shakespeare, Twain, Fitzgerald, stuff like that. As my AP Lit teacher put it, comparable literary merit. If Douglas Adams doesn't make the cut, then Stephenie Meyers sure as hell doesn't.

[elizardbits.livejournal.com]

Incidentally, have you seen this (http://cbs13.com/watercooler/selling.virginity.tuition.2.814271.html) little piece of The Crazy?

[http://users.livejournal.com/bellereve_/]

I can't believe that Twilight lesson plan is for realz. I mean, she included a numerology exercise. Is this some sort of bad vampire novel Kabbalah?

And there are supposed teachers commenting on this and saying they will use it. Oh dear god. I weep for the future.

[edda.livejournal.com]

Paul Verhoeven to Direct Erotic Thriller. So... apparently the Large Hadron Collider threw us back to 1995.

Heh.

[ccaretta.livejournal.com]

What is it about Fringe and Mexican food? We were eating burritos and dude face melted and I was like "Okay, no more eating during THIS show."

[word-herder.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. They should have posted a notice up there with the Sex, Language, and Violence warning: no eating while watching Fringe. I don't know if it will all be like that. I kinda got the feeling that one was more of the "hook 'em" factor, you know? Try to get the X-Files crowd involved. I don't think Abrams thought he could spring his crazy sci-fi/philosophical twists on the uninitiated in the pilot.

But it really was good. If Fox doesn't yank it like they did Firefly (BITTERNESS), Abrams is going to astound us, I think. Also, it is getting me through until Lost.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I own the Hello Kitty Vibrator. Well, they call it a Personal Massager, but, you know. I bought it on eBay, not caring if I ever took it out of the box, because I just wanted to own it, so that anytime I make a witty comment along the lines of, "Oh, god, no thank you, I'd rather spend a night alone with my Hello Kitty Vibrator," if anyone says, "You don't really have a Hello Kitty Vibrator," I can say, "OH YES I DO."

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heeeeeee.

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

I find the Heinlein form letter fascinating. I want to track down the books and articles listed and figure out what questions they're replies to.

[revenantrose.livejournal.com]

"Recovering Roger Ebert Pummeled By Angry 'NY Post' Critic"

Dear lord, I thought they meant figuratively, like in an article. Wow.

That guy needs to go around with one of those Chinese finger traps so he has to think first before he can unlock his hands.